The Azeri Teimour Radjabov is 29 years old and was once the second-youngest grandmaster ever at 14. In 2012, he was number 4 in the world but is now 33rd. He had world champion contender written all over him, but that was not to be, at least not yet. Radjabov jumped the fast track somewhere along the way and now seems to be just another world class GM.
Today’s game is from the just concluded World Rapid Championship that featured the very nice weather in Doha and the victory by the pleasantly erratic Vassily Ivanchuk. Radjabov’s opponent is the 20-year-old Ukrainian Olexandr Bortnyk, who seems to specialize in speed chess as his ratings in both rapid and blitz are much higher than his classical chess rating.
In the game, given the fast time limit, G/15; 10+, Radjabov decided to sacrifice an exchange. Sadly for Bortnyk, accepting the sac put him under constant pressure, and given the fast humming of the clock, he cracked, allowing Radjabov a very nice queen sacrifice leading to mate.
2016 World Rapid Championship, Doha, Qatar
Teimour Radjabov (2710) — Olexandr Bortnyk (2581)
1.Nf3 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.b3 0–0 6.Bb2 Bf5 7.c4 Qc8 8.h3 c5 9.Nc3 Nc6 10.Rc1 First new move of the game 10...Bh6?! Hoping for either the rook to move or for 11.e3 when 11...Nb4 is very annoying for White. 10...cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Qd7 is playable 11.d5! Some days you just don’t want to bother moving your rook. 11...Bxc1 Declining the sacrifice with 11…Nd4 gets Black into trouble after 12.Nd2 with e3 to follow 12.Qxc1 Nd4 13.g4 Bd7?! Necessary was 13…Nxf3+ not giving White having the option of trapping his knight 14.Qh6!? I guess White is just not in the mood to win Black’s knight with 14.Nd2 with e3 next: 14.Nd2 e5 15.e3 Ne8 16.exd4 cxd4 17.Nce4 f5 18.gxf5 gxf5 19.Ng5 Nf6 20.Ba3 Qc7 21.c5! However it would be a rather dry, technical matter and is just not as much fun as this. 14...Nxf3+ or 14...e5 15.Ng5 Bf5 16.Be4 (16.gxf5 Nxf5) 16...Bd7 17.Bd3 Qd8 18.Nce4 Re8 19.0–0 Bc8 (19...Qe7 20.f4 Bf5 21.fxe5 Qxe5 22.Rxf5) 20.e3 Nf3+ 21.Nxf3 Nxe4 22.Bxe4 15.Bxf3 Now what for Black? White has the dreaded “Bind’’ and simply threatens of 16.Ne4, 17.Ng5 with mate either on g7 or h7. And h4, h5 opening in the h-file is in the air. Not to be too dramatic, but Black may well be lost here, especially considering the time limit. 15...Ne8 15...Qd8 is another try when after 16.Ne4 e5 17.dxe6 fxe6 18.h4 Qe7 19.h5 Nxe4 20.hxg6 Nf6 21.g5 e5 22.Bc1 White is winning 16.Ne4 f6 17.h4 Bxg4?! Can’t complain too much about this as itleads to a rather nice sacrifice by White but there is better choice,17...Rf7 he should still lose after 18.h5 g5 19.Nxg5 fxg5 20.Qxg5+ Kf8 21.Qh6+ Kg8 22.g5 Bf5 23.Rg1 Rg7 24.Bxg7 Nxg7 25.g6 hxg6 26.hxg6 but it would still require White to find some moves 18.h5 gxh5 19.Ng5! fxg5?! This loses right away. The better choice was 19...Rf7 which still should lose in the long run: 20.Nxf7 Kxf7 21.Be4 Bf5 22.Bxf5 Qxf5 23.Rg1 e5 24.f3 Ke7 25.Bc3 Kd8 26.Rg8 but there is still some work for White 20.Qxg5+ Kf7 21.Qxh5+!! Always check the checks as it might be mate! 21...Bxh5 22.Bxh5+ Kg8 23.Rg1+ Ng7 24.Rxg7+ Kh8 25.Rxe7+ Rf6 25...Kg8 26.Rg7+ Kh8 27.Rg1+ Rf6 28.Bxf6# 26.Bxf6+ Kg8 27.Rg7+ Kf8 28.Rxh7 There is no good defense to Rh8 mate. 28...Qf5 29.Rh8#; 1–0
Chris Chase can be reached at BostonGlobeChessNotes@gmail.com.
